The Cortex-R series processors provide fast time-to-market through proven technology shipped in billions of products, and leverages the vast ARM ecosystem and global, local language, 24/7 support services to ensure rapid and low-risk development.

Cortex-R series processors deliver fast and deterministic processing and high performance, while meeting challenging real-time constraints in a range of situations. They combine these features in a performance, power and area optimized package, making them the trusted choice in reliable systems demanding high error-resistance.

Cortex-R Series Characteristics

Fundamental to the Cortex-R4, Cortex-R5 and Cortex-R7 processors are key features that are demanded by deeply embedded and real-time markets such as automotive safety or wireless baseband, where high-performance, real-time, safe and cost-effective processing is required.

High performance: Rapid execution of complex code and DSP functionality

Industry Standard

ARM Cortex-R series processors set the industry standard for a wide range of deeply embedded semiconductor application markets with a broad range of licensees throughout the worldwide semiconductor industry. There are over 80 Cortex-R series licensees, including:

* The first result abides by all of the 'ground rules' laid out in the Dhrystone documentation, the second permits inlining of functions (not just the permitted C string libraries) while the third additionally permits simultaneous multifile complilation. All are with the original (K&R) v2.1 of Dhrystone.

Cortex-R series processors are all binary compatible, enabling software reuse and a seamless progression from one Cortex-R processor to another as functionality and/or additional processing power is required.

Cortex-R Series Applications

Cortex-R series processors, designed for demanding real-time solutions, are commonly in use in ASIC, ASSP and MCU System-on-Chip applications for these markets:

Automotive Electronic Control Units (ECUs) are present in all modern vehicles. In addition to engine management and entertainment applications, there is increasing reliance on driver assistance and safety systems for applications such as vehicle stability, steering, anti-lock braking (ABS), collision avoidance and air bag deployment. These systems require high-performance processing as they read data from a variety of sensors, perform computation that often uses floating-point algorithms and deliver the necessary control signals. Above all, such systems must perform to their real-time constraints with high reliability, and meet the requirements of automotive safety standards such as ISO26262. The Cortex-R5 has an optional Safety Support Package that assists partners in their product certification.

Storage

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) also continue to be one of the most demanding applications for embedded processors and the Cortex-R series has been adopted by the major manufacturers. Solid State Drives (SSD) also require complex real-time performance and the Cortex-R series power many leading products. High growth in enterprise networks and Internet data centers is driving an exponential rise in storage capacity and demands ever increasing performance. Elsewhere, consumers keep their stock of music and movies on PC disks and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. More data requires more bandwidth and the latest drives supporting data traffic using multiple PCIe channels. Within the HDD, high-speed servo control systems manage disk rotation and head position, and read/write channels process signals at very high data rates. In SSD large tables of information on status of the NAND must be searched and manipulated as fast as possible to deliver the best possible performance.

Mobile

Mobile handsetstoo are introducing high data rate wireless broadband to deliver feature-rich, audio, video and internet services to users. Handset processing for the fourth generation and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) of mobile technology requires complex software protocol stacks to run in real-time, managing mobility, connections, security, data traffic and the air interface modem. Advanced multi-core SoCs use Cortex-R series processors for these tasks, complementing Cortex-A series processors for user applications. Low cost and power consumption continue to be key success criteria for mobile handset products.

Flexibility

The Cortex-R series processors allow developers to be flexible about the feature choices they make. Processors can be configured to meet specific performance requirements. This means that performance, power and area considerations can be accounted for. Some examples are shown below.

Market segment

Storage

Mobile baseband

Imaging / Wireless

Automotive

Memory Protection Unit

No

Yes

Yes

Yes, 12 regions

Caches

No

Yes

Yes

Sometimes

ECC / parity

Yes

No

No

Yes

TCM

Three

Three

None

Two

Floating Point Unit

No

No

No

Yes

Breakpoints / Watchpoints

Minimum

Medium

Maximum

Maximum

Cortex-R Series Technologies

Cortex-R real-time processor technology, defined by the ARMv7-R architecture including ARM Thumb®-2 instruction set, provides high code density without sacrificing performance. This implemented architecture is in Cortex-R series processors with specific features for high performance and hard real-time applications as follows:

High Performance

Real-time

Cortex-R5 and Cortex-R7 can be configured for Asymmetric Multi-Processing (AMP)

Cortex-R7 can be configured for Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) doubling performance

Deeply pipelined micro-architecture

Instruction pre-fetch and queuing

Advanced branch prediction

MPCore interrupt controller

Superscalar execution for parallel execution

Hardware divide

Hardware DSP / SIMD instructions

Floating point instructions including double precision

Harvard level 1 caches

AMBA® AXI 3 bus ports

Data I/O coherency

Tightly-Coupled Memory (TCM) interfaces to local RAM and/or Flash memory that can hold instructions or data that are always immediately available for processing

Low Interrupt Latency modes

Low Latency Peripheral Port

GIC or VIC controllers

Any instructions that could delay interrupt response by more than a few cycles can stop and restart

Blocks of data or code can be read into or out of TCM using DMA via a dedicated AXI slave bus interface for rapid processing

Cortex-R5 is targeted for use in systems that must operate to a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) as defined by IEC61508 or ISO 26262

In automotive applications these systems will run an AUTOSAR-compliant RTOS

Low energy micro-architecture

ARM or Thumb-2 code for high code density

Target from low power/small die area to high performance

Synthesis feature configuration allowing designers to select features of the processor for a precise match with application requirements

These options enable Cortex-R series processors to address a wide range of embedded applications and designers can trade off features and performance against power consumption, area and cost of the final device.

Benefits of ARM Cortex-R Series

A key benefit to choosing the ARM Cortex-R series is the comprehensive portfolio of processors, physical IP, tools and support that ARM is experienced in delivering to rapidly get customers into production. The choice of processors and technology is the widest available and most mature which ensures your investment in ARM can meet all of your product needs now and into the future.

ARM Cortex-R offers:

Fast processing combined with a high clock frequency

Processing which meets real-time constraints in all occasions

Dependable, reliable systems with high error-resistance

Cost effective features for optimal power, performance and area implementations

ARM offers:

The widest portfolio of low-power processors and physical IP solutions

Rapid access to deep expertise with global, local-language, support 24/7

A vast ecosystem of partners with millions of experienced developers

ARM enables:

Fast product development through system configuration, not complex integration

Choice and configurability to meet your power, performance and area goals

Low cost of ownership through reduced engineering time and effort

ARM partners achieve:

Fast time to market with complete solutions and integrated system support

Differentiated products while reusing their development investment

Lowest risk through the widest IP offering and a roadmap long into the future

ARM Product Portfolio

Bringing a new product with an embedded processor to market as quickly and inexpensively as possible is a major undertaking. The processor core is just one element of a complex combination of system hardware and software that must be quickly developed and validated. ARM can deliver complete system solutions and offers global, local language, support 24/7 to quickly speed your product to market. Software developed for one ARM processor and system is quick to port to others, protecting your investment in software.

ARM Ecosystem

Getting a product quickly to market requires complex hardware and software development, often in parallel, and comprehensive system validation and deep system debugging and profiling. ARM has the widest Ecosystem in the industry with more than 1000 partners offering tools and services that can speed your development. Partner categories include:

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